The Boy in the Pool
by NatesMama
Summary: My gift for FaithInBones for the Bonesology Valentine's Day Fan Fic Gift Exchange.


_**A/N: This is my submission for Bonesology's Valentine's Day Gift Exchange. My gift is for the talented and prolific Bones writer FaithInBones. She requested something with Booth as the main character, and fluff…this really isn't so much fluffy, as it is a call-back to a great Season 3 story line. But there's plenty of Booth.**_

 _ **I hope she likes it. And I hope you do, too :)Happy Valentine's Day everyone.**_

* * *

The Boy in the Pool

Brennan heard the doorbell ring just as she had turned over the pineapple upside-down cake she had prepared for Hodgins' birthday dinner, and called for Booth to answer it as she moved the still-warm cake pan to the sink. She turned around just in time to watch her husband of fifteen years amble towards their front door to obey his wife's command.

When Booth opened the door, he was confronted with a young man of no more than twenty-five, sandy blond hair trimmed close, wearing what looked to be a standard-issue government suit.

"Can I help you?" Booth asked, suspiciously pulling the door closed a bit.

The man nodded, smiling. "You can if you're Special Agent Seeley Booth."

Calmed by the kid's friendly demeanor, Booth opened the door wider and welcomed the younger man in. "Well, I'm no longer Special Agent Booth, but the Booth part is still true. Do we know each other?"

Brennan walked in from the kitchen, eyes full of questions. "Booth?"

"Bones." He held his hand out and introduced Brennan. "This is my wife, Doctor Temperance Brennan. And-oh. I didn't get your name." He gestured both his wife and visitor to the living room, where they all took seats.

"I'm sorry, Agent Booth. I should have introduced myself. My name is Todd Mitchell. Well, as of last week, it's FBI Special Agent Todd Mitchell."

"Hey, congratulations!" Booth grinned, leaning forward to shake the young agent's hand.

Brennan smiled, still puzzled. "Is there a case you wish to ask Booth to consult on, Agent Mitchell? Because Booth is now a Deputy Director, and while at work he is incredibly busy so we are very protective of our personal time…"

"Bones!"

"Oh no, Doctor Brennan, I'm not here in a professional capacity." He grinned, not the least bit offended. "This is a personal visit."

Brennan nodded. "I see. What can we do for you?"

Todd cleared his throat, suddenly looking nervous. "I-okay." He laughed self-consciously. "I've thought of this meeting for years, and now…" He shook his head and continued. "Anyway, Agent-I mean, Director Booth, do you remember about fifteen years ago, you were chasing a suspect in the Gormogon case, and you caught up to him behind a house with a pool?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah…yeah. Gormogon's apprentice." He cringed a bit and looked at his wife apologetically. "I mean…"

"It's okay, Booth." She squeezed his knee comfortingly.

Todd nodded. "I'm sorry, I saw the case file and I know it turned out to be really personal for you and your team, Doctor Brennan."

Brennan demurred. "It's alright, Agent Mitchell, it was a long time ago."

He nodded gratefully, and then continued with his story. "When you caught up with the suspect, do you remember what happened?"

Booth grimaced. "Oh yeah. I'll never forget that. The jackass grabbed a little boy and tried to drown him in the pool behind the house. Poor kid was terrified, but he wasn't hurt. Tough little-" Booth's eyes widened as he took in the smiling young agent in front of him.

Agent Mitchell nodded. Booth shook his head in disbelief. Brennan looked between the two men, one hand over her mouth, silently watching the emotional exchange.

"You're…" Booth swallowed thickly. "You're that little boy."

The younger man held his hand out, taking Booth's larger and slightly shaking hand in his own. "Yes."

"Oh." Brennan nodded. "That's…" She looked to Booth, eyes slightly damp. "I find that I am at an uncharacteristic loss for words."

Booth snorted in amusement, which served to break up the emotion in the room, causing Brennan and Mitchell to join him in laughter.

Mitchell was the first to recover himself, still grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, I was the boy you saved from Gormogon's apprentice." He wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes as he continued, holding Booth's gaze steadily. "And even though I was very young, it affected me my whole life." At Booth's chagrin, he was quick to shake his head. "Not in a negative way, no! On the contrary, Director. You were so brave and strong…and to a boy my age, it was almost mythical. Like someone straight out of a comic book!"

Brennan bit back a grin at her husband's sudden puffed-out chest and proud demeanor. Booth tried very hard to hide his pride, covering his grin with a cough. "Well, when you're young…things like that tend to get exaggerated."

"I don't think so, sir." The amusement was absent from the younger man's eyes as he addressed his very own Superman come to life. "I remember everything."

"Still…" Booth's protest trailed off at Mitchell's intense stare.

"I was playing in my backyard. Staying on the bricks and away from the pool, just like my mother warned me." He swallowed reflexively. "I never even saw the guy come running up behind me. Didn't hear a thing, I was so absorbed in my own imagination. But he saw me."

Brennan stood and crossed the distance between herself and their young guest. She sat down next to him on the small sofa and took his hand.

"I remember trying to call for my mother, and then I saw you. You came charging out of the bushes and then suddenly, we were under water." He shook his head at the thought. "I never even had time to take a breath."

"You must have been so frightened." Brennan said, still holding tight to Mitchell's hand. "I think anyone would have been."

He nodded absently, caught in the memory. "I was terrified. But to be honest, it happened so fast, from going under until Agent Booth pulled me back up…it's hard now to put it all together." He smiled at Booth. "But I remember that you stayed. Even after my mother came out, and you explained what had happened and called for an ambulance. That meant something. Especially now, that I know you were chasing a serial killer."

"I'm just glad it all turned out alright in the end and that you weren't hurt." Booth forced a smile, a strange look crossing his face as Brennan watched, concerned.

Todd then proceeded to fill in his hosts on his life and what he had been doing since that fateful first meeting, then eventually exchanging contact information with Booth before taking his leave with promises to join them in a few weeks for dinner.

Brennan locked the door behind their guest and turned to watch her husband collect their coffee cups and stride towards the kitchen. His head hung low and his demeanor was muted, making her believe he was sad about something. Not understanding but wanting to help, she followed him and then cornered him as he closed the dishwasher.

"Booth?"

Jumping back into the appliance behind him, Booth gasped. "Jesus, Bones! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I'm sorry!" Brennan wrapped her arms around him instinctively. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just…" She looked up into his questioning eyes. "You seem sad about something."

Booth sighed and kissed her on the forehead softly. "Nah. Not really." He pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head. "I love that we got a great reminder that what we do matters, and that it had and still has an impact on others."

"But?"

"No buts. I'm just feeling a little old. That's all." He released Brennan and turned to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses, dangling them from his large fingers. "Seeing that kid, fresh out of Quantico…just reminds me that I'm a long, long way from my days as a fresh-faced rookie."

Grinning, Brennan took the wine from her husband and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards their bedroom. "Well, let me see if I can find a way to cheer you up…Christine is out spending the night with Lenora, Hank is with the Hodgins…which means that we have the house to ourselves. All night." As they reached their doorway, she turned and beckoned Booth in with an adorably awkward wave of her fingers. "Come on in and let's see if you're as old as you feel, Director Booth."

Absently setting the wine glasses on their dresser as he passed, Booth leered as Brennan yanked her blouse over her head. "Oh yeah, Bones…I think I'm feeling younger already."


End file.
